Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 55: Understanding Oneself

"Timeout!!"

In this situation, at home plate, Miyuki decisively called for a timeout and jogged towards the pitcher's mound.

"I'm sorry, Miyuki-senpai."

Eijun wiped the sweat from his forehead, showing a hint of frustration as he watched Miyuki approaching.

"That pitch missed; it didn't go where I intended."

"You know," to Eijun's surprise, Miyuki wore a slight smile, gently patting Eijun on the shoulder with a relaxed tone, "You're being too tense. You're pitching with training fatigue, and the opponent is Kiryu from Osaka. If they didn't hit you, I'd find it strange."

"The purpose of this practice game was clear from the beginning, right? It seems you didn't quite take it in."

Eijun was slightly taken aback by Miyuki's words.

"Well, I just wanted to..."

"Alright, alright, relax, relax. Don't be too tense. Of course, we strive for victory, but firstly, this is a practice game, and secondly, neither of us is in the best condition. Plus, you're still a rookie lacking in many areas and experience. It's normal for a team like Kiryu to hit eight or ten hits off you or even a home run. Don't think of Kiryu as the opponents you faced in the second squad."

Miyuki deliberately showed a dismissive expression, implying that Sawamura shouldn't overestimate himself.

This made Eijun smile wryly.

However, this helped alleviate some of the tension from the consecutive hits he had just conceded.

Secretly observing Eijun's expression, Miyuki's eyes gleamed with a hint of amusement.

"Alright, now that you've understood, relax and pitch a bit more easily. It's not like you have great control, so being this tense will only worsen your pitching."

"Yes, I understand, Miyuki-senpai," Eijun nodded gently.

"With no outs and runners on second and third, the probability of conceding runs is high. Ignore the baserunners, focus on dealing with the batter. Getting outs is the key goal, understood?"

"Yes!!!!"

"Good," Miyuki nodded with satisfaction.

Then he put on his mask, turning back and jogging to home plate.

In the Seidou dugout, Chris, who was keeping score, smiled reassuringly as he saw Eijun's relaxed expression.

"Miyuki knows how to handle things."

"Hmm." Coach Kataoka nodded slightly, not saying much, but Chris could sense his satisfaction with Miyuki's quick response and Eijun's self-adjustment.

"Batting sixth, catcher Shibata-kun."

A change in demeanor?

In the dugout, Coach Matsumoto's eyes narrowed slightly as he touched his chin with a contemplative look.

Then he focused his gaze on Miyuki.

Looks like that catcher said something to the pitcher.

"Coach?" At the plate, Shibata glanced back towards his dugout with a questioning look.

Coach Matsumoto's eyes flashed briefly, and he nodded slightly.

No problem, even though the pitcher's mindset has adjusted, his weaknesses are still very apparent. Target this aspect, don't hold back, and go all out to break him down.

Yes! With clear instructions from the dugout, the change in Shibata's demeanor made Miyuki narrow his eyes slightly.

It seems their plan is to directly challenge Sawamura without any tricks.

"Let's do this, Sawamura."

Back in his crouch, Miyuki decisively signaled for an inside pitch.

The opponent was setting up for a confrontation, and Miyuki wasn't about to back down!

On the mound, Eijun nodded firmly.

Holding the ball tightly in his left hand behind him, he casually glanced over at the runner on third.

As Hiromi on third base hesitated for a moment, Eijun's pitch was seamless—lifting his leg, stepping forward, and swinging his arm.

In an instant.

"Whoosh"

A streak of light shot out. An inside pitch!?

Shibata's expression tightened; although his stance caused a slight delay in his reaction, thanks to communication with teammates and Coach Matsumoto's instructions, he managed a correct response.

"Swish"

As the white light approached, Shibata adjusted his bat to cover more area, swinging it upwards vigorously.

"Crack"

The bat and ball collided with a piercing noise, sending a white blur speeding toward third base.

"Bang"

Masuko lunged to intercept, but the ball missed his glove, slammed into the ground, and bounced further outside.

"Foul ball!!"

Watching the white ball zip away, Shibata frowned.

Even with that swing, he couldn't properly hit the sweet spot? This guy is definitely skilled.

Sawamura, you should realize from that pitch that even slight mistakes can lead to hard hits. You can't let your guard down at all!!!!

Miyuki's eyes held a serious glint.

"Yes, I understand, Miyuki-senpai."

Eijun nodded slightly.

So, for the next pitch, aim here.

Miyuki subtly moved his glove to a lower inside position.

In the batter's box, Shibata focused as the pitch's trajectory came into view, taking a decisive step forward.

The bat was sharp and ready.

This was it!!!

"Whoosh"

Yet, the situation did not unfold as Shibata anticipated. As the white blur reached home plate, its path was lower than expected.

"Pop"

A clear sound resonated as Shibata's face showed a mix of frustration.

"Strike!!!"

Damn it, he was fooled by a low corner pitch. This kid may struggle with the outside corner, but his inside control is unexpectedly good!

"Good pitch, Sawamura!"

"You've got him now, just don't rush it."

"Sawamura, keep it steady!!!"

In the outfield, infield, and dugout, the Seidou players cheered for Eijun, especially a certain enthusiastic center fielder whose shouts raised the team's spirits.

"Ah, I underestimated this first-year a bit," Coach Matsumoto mused, touching his chin contemplatively.

Within seconds, Coach Matsumoto made a decision in his mind.

He issued new instructions to the players on the field.

On third base, Hiromi blinked in realization and adjusted his cap; simultaneously, the runner on second and Shibata in the batter's box did the same.

Are they making a move?

Miyuki quickly sensed the danger in the air.

Forced scoring? Sacrifice fly? The decoy pitch might not work; they needed to brace for losing a run.

Miyuki wasn't one to hesitate endlessly; after weighing the pros and cons, a resolute look appeared in his eyes.

Stopping them would be ideal, but if not, the priority is to secure an out!

"Whoosh"

Another streak of light burst forth.

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